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SBIR/STTR

SpaceVPX Switch-Controller, Phase I

Project Introduction

Crossfield Technology proposes a SpaceVPX (VITA 78) Switch-Controller Module implemented in a state-of-the-art Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) System on Chip (SoC). The System Controller and Chassis Management Controller (ChMC) functions will be implemented in the embedded ARM processors and the Control and Data Switches will be implemented in the FPGA fabric. Crossfield proposes to use an FPGA SoC implemented in FinFET technology for the design, and to assess the radiation hardness of this FPGA SoC as part of the program. The FPGA SoC integrates sufficient logic elements and high-speed transceivers to implement a 16-port RapidIO Data Switch. Crossfield proposes to use 3D XPoint memory or MRAM to provide radiation hardness of the memory system. For space applications requiring more robust radiation hardness, the design can be ported to the radiation-hardened multi-core General Purpose Processor (GPP) under development by NASA plus one or more radiation-hardened FPGAs.
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Anticipated Benefits

The primary NASA application of this technology will be the Earth Observing System (EOS), a major component of the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. EOS is a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. The technology can be deployed on the International Space Station and on future EOS satellites, such as Sentinel, Landsat and TEMPO. Any ISS science application or satellite operating in a relatively benign orbit would benefit from SpaceVPX instrumentation constructed from commercial integrated circuit technology with adequate SEE and TID hardness.

This technology can be used in commercial and defense space applications that use SpaceVPX system components. By substituting Ethernet for the SpaceWire on the Control Plane and modifying the Utility Plane implementation, the Switch-Controller Module would be compatible with numerous OpenVPX (VITA 65) and HOST (VITA 84) applications in the military, industrial and scientific markets. The FPGA SoC switch implementation could be used to implement switches that can be reprogrammed to support RapidIO, Etherent or PCI Express, and even provide bridges between different protocols (e.g. a RapidIO to PCI Express bridge or a PCI Express to Ethernet network adapter.
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